"'Weakness is settling for a life based on what others want of you and from you.'"

Crowned a Traitor is a YA fantasy novel about Lucifer's daughter who wants to avoid being the Queen of Heck at all costs, and it's one of those books that feels like a mixture of genres. It was fantasy, of course, but there were aspects of it that reminded me of paranormal and horror fiction too.
I'm not usually a fan of fantasy books about different "species" like werewolves and demons, nor am I knowledgeable about demon "lore," but the worldbuilding was fairly solid. It mixed religious symbols, Greek mythology, and Fae folklore for an intriguing mixture of elements.
However, I thought the plot lacked clarity at times. I never really got "hooked" into the story, but I saw another review saying the action started around page 140, and it did...but I still struggled to stay engaged at points. There was a fair amount of urgency in the plot with Klara running from her family, I just wasn't invested in it.
I think I didn't get invested because I didn't care much for the characters. Klara was cool and as far as main characters go, I liked her. Frendall was my favorite and then he disappeared for half the story. I didn't mind Wolfgang or Lottie either, but those were the only characters that I actually empathized with. There were so many other characters introduced that I assumed would have little relevance to the plot, and so I didn't bother remembering the details about them.
If you're a fan of dark fantasy stories about demons, werewolves, and characters running from their "destinies," Crowned A Traitor is a book you shouldn't miss.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.5/5